Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) affinis ( Felsche, 1910 )

Nunes, Rafael V., Carvalho, Marcela S. G. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2016, Taxonomic review of the Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) assifer (Eschscholtz) species-group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Zootaxa 4078 (1), pp. 230-244 : 237-238

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) affinis ( Felsche, 1910)

( Figures 4 A–E)

Pinotus affinis Felsche, 1910 , p. 343 (description); Luederwaldt 1929, p. 102 (redescription, keys) Dichotomius affinis , Vaz-de-Mello 2000, p. 193 (new combination, checklist)

Material examined. Lectotype male (here designated): (1, green label) Esp.Santo / (2, red label) Typus / (3, green label) Coll. C. Felsche-Kauf 20, 1918 / (4, handwritten, white label with purple margins) affinis Felsche Espírito Santo / (5, white label) Staatl Museum für Tierkunde Dresden / (6, red label) Lectotype / (7, white label with black margins) Pinotus affinis Fels. LECTOT. Vaz-de-Mello des. 2011 [♂ SMTD]. A lectotype is designated in order to fix the species name on one single individual then contributing to stabilization of nomenclature. Paralectotypes: (1, green label) Esp.Santo / (2, green label) Coll. C. Felsche-Kauf 20, 1918 / (3, white label) Staatl Museum für Tierkunde Dresden / (4, yellow label) Paralectotype / (5, white with black margin) Pinotus affinis Fels. PARALECTO. Vaz-de-Mello des. 2011 [4♂, 1♀ SMTD]. Addittional specimens. BRASIL: Espírito Santo: Venda Nova do Imigrante, Lavrinhas. 20º18’29”S, 41º07’11”W, 850 mosl. 10–14-I-2011. Hum dung. FZ Vaz-de- Mello [1♂ 1♀ CEMT]; Vargem Alta. 680 mosl, IX-1995, JNC Louzada [2♂, 2♀ CEMT]; Vargem Alta, Mata-Solo F#C. 15-IX-1995. Louzada & Louzada [1♀ CEMT]; Domingos Martins, Parque Estadual Pedra Azul. I-2000. Lopes-Andrade & Vaz-de-Mello [1♀ CEMT]; Marechal Floriano. I-2003. L Dias [1♀ CEMT]; Espírito Santo [2♂, 2♀ IRSN]; Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte. Parque Estadual Rola-Moça. 19º50’S, 43º50’W, 900 mosl. XI-1998. R Durães [6♂, 10♀ CEMT]; Lavras. Reserva Biológica Municipal do Poço Bonito. Interior de Mata Ciliar. 29-V- 1992. Friero & Costa [1♂, 1♀ CEMT]; Lavras. 21º19’15”S; 44º59’34”W. MR Rocha & DHT Takahashi [1♂, 3♀ CEMT]; Lavras, Mata do Capivari. 21º16’25”S, 44º16’57”W. XII-2001. G Schiffler [12♂, 10♀ CEMT]; Lavras. I- 1997. JNC Louzada [3♂, 1♀ CEMT]; Lagoa Bonita. Evangelista (year??) [1♂ CEMT]; Marliéria. II-1994, E Grossi [1♀ CEMT]; São João Evangelista. 18º33’11”S, 42º53’58”W, 898 mosl. Mata. 2-IV-2011. Rain Season. Human dung. RN Mota [4♂, 2♀ CEMT]; Nova Lima. XII-1998. GLD Leite [1♂ CEMT]; Caraça. XI-1993. A Bello [8♂, 3♀ CEMT]; São Paulo: Anhembi. Fazenda Barreiro Rico. Meat trap. XI-1995. WD Edmonds / Dichotomius affinis (Felsche) P. Pereira (det) (this label only with the male [1♂, 3♀]. Pará: Belém 1-II-1966. Anonymous leg. (surely misslabeled) [1♂ CEMT].

Diagnosis. Dichotomius affinis is separated of the other species in the group by the following combination of characters: males cephalic carina with at most 1/3 the maximum width of the head and emarginated medially ( Figs 4 A–C); females cephalic carina very low, bearing a pair of acute tubercles ( Fig. 4 B); non-bifurcated lobe delimiting males pronotal disc anteriorly ( Fig. 4 A); elytral interstriae striated on sides and apex ( Figs 4 A–B).

Males. Length: 15–20 mm. Maximum width (pronotum): 10–12 mm. Dorsal surface black, shining. Red pilosity on ventral surface. Head: clypeal surface almost smooth with few indications of lateral striations. Clypeus with a central emargination separating two rounded clypeal teeth. Clypeal margin more distinct at the clypeal teeth. Ventral clypeal process bifurcated. Clypeo-genal junction not angulated, feebly emarginated. Cephalic carina as wide as tall, usually emarginated medially and never exceeding one third maximum width of the head. Interocular space shining, smooth and lacking punctures. Clypeo-genal suture distinct. Antennal club with light red tumescence. Pronotum: wider than long, width equal to that of elytra. Pronotal disc shining and smooth, lacking deep punctures and having, at most, only a few dispersed fine punctures (20x). Simple lobe delimiting the pronotal disc anteriorly. Longitudinal grove (sulcus) absent or very weakly impressed. Deep and coarse punctures restricted to the anterior angles and anterior declivity. Two rows of elliptical ocellate puncture present close to the posterior margin of pronotum. Hypomeron: anterior portion bearing a well-defined excavation that is delimited by a dense brush of setae. External band of the excavation bearing long setae with almost the same length of the setae on the excavation and that can be seen on dorsal view. Prosternum: bearing equally spaced ocellate setigerous punctures. Setae short, reaching at most 1/5 the length of metasternal pilosity. Mesosternum: strongly narrowed medially and covered by ocellate setigerous punctures. Setae short, reaching at most 1/5 the length of metasternal pilosity. Mesepisternum: fully covered by ocellate setigerous punctures. Pilosity dense, setae with the same length of those of the metasternum. Upper margin of the posterior portion with a triangular projection that almost reaches the pseudoepipleuron. Metasternum: mesometasternal suture distinct. Pilosity dense and covering mainly the metasternal suture. Setigerous punctures restricted mainly to the margins of the mestasternal lobe but encroaching onto middle of this lobe after its midpoint. Longitudinal sulcus present, terminating in posterior concavity which bears small ocellate setigerous punctures. Elytra: shining, interstriae convex, smooth with fine punctures (8x). Discal striae with ocellate punctures separated by diameter of a single puncture. Legs: apex of the anterior tibiae bearing a tuft of setae. Anterior calcar spatulate. Anterior tibiae tridentate, teeth confined to apical one half of lateral margin. Apex of the metatibiae bearing a medial tooth ( Fig. 1 D). Ventral surface of the profemur bearing ocellate setigerous punctures; setae as long as those found on the margins and similar punctures present marginally on the meso and metafemur. Tarsi densely covered by setae. Abdomen: sixth sternite strongly narrowed medially. Setigerous punctures present on sides near the anterior margin. Pygidium: as long as wide, bearing fine punctures equally spaced (8x). Paramera: as on Figs 4 D–E.

Morphological variation. Body length varies from 14–20 mm and pronotum width from 9–11 mm. Smaller males of D. affinis have less developed pronotal lobe and cephalic carina. Females ( Fig. 4 B) bear denser and longer pilosity on the ventral surface and are distinguished of the males as follows Head: cephalic carina absent or very ill defined, when it is absent, than there is a pair of acute tubercles. Pronotum: lacking anterior declivities and lobes and bearing equally spaced deep punctures. Pronotal longitudinal sulcus ill-defined. Abdomen: sixth sternite not shortened medially and bearing a central knob.

Distribution. A narrow distribution that includes the states of Espírito Santo, São Paulo and Minas Gerais ( Fig. 7 ), in a formation called by Ab'Saber (1966) as "Mar de Morros" ("Sea of Hills" in Portuguese).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diagnostics characters of Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) assifer species-group. A – B. excavation of the anterior portion of the hypomeron indicated by the white arrows; C. setae concentrated at the sides of abdominal sternites indicated by the black arrows. The sixth abdominal sternite, wider than the other sternites and bearing a central knob; D. medial tooth at the apex of hind tibiae indicated by the black arrow; E. pronotal disc surface showing well defined punctures typical on D. affinis, D. angeloi sp. nov. and D. machadoi; F. pronotal disc surface generally lacking punctures, smooth and shining, typical of D. assifer and D. louzadai sp. nov.; G. smooth and shining elytral interstriae disc, typical of D. assifer and D. louzadai sp. nov.; H. wrinkled interstriae disc, typical of D. affinis, D. machadoi and D. angeloi sp. nov.

FIGURE 4. Dichotomius affinis (Felsche). A. dorsal habitus of the male; B. dorsal habitus of the female; C. fronto-lateral view of the male head and pronotum; D. dorsal view of the paramera; E. lateral view of the aedeagus.

FIGURE 7. Distribution map of species in the Dichotomius (L uederwaldtinia) assifer species-group.